Last week’s wispy healthcare vote in the House of Representatives and the subsequent haranguing from Democrats on the fate of their political opponents creates many inflection points for pundits and policy watchers alike. There’s no question both sides will use the vote as a watershed moment for the 2018 election cycle. And while many, many twists and turns can occur between now and next November, Republicans would do well if they can ask and answer this crucial query: How strong is Trump’s coalition?

Many forces converged last November to elect Donald Trumppresident; voter factions that either had been written off by traditional pollsters or under-reported across state polling organizations for myriad, flawed reasons. But a Trump coalition did in fact exist, and if the White House wants to avoid a sudden stop to its agenda, then officials had better determine how they can mobilize these disparate groups once again.